Do you participate in the bay scallop fishery? If so, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants to hear from you.

The FWC’s Division of Marine Fisheries Management is seeking your input about recently proposed, regionally-specific bay scallop season dates. The proposal was developed following a series of public workshops and meetings with community leaders before and after the 2017 scallop season. The proposal will be brought back before the Commission at the Feb. 7-8 meeting in Tallahassee for a final public hearing.

If approved in February, the following regionally-specific bay scallop open season dates would be effective starting in 2018 and would extend into the future:

Franklin County through northwestern Taylor County (including Carrabelle, Lanark, and St. Marks): July 1 through Sept. 24 every year.

The remaining portion of Taylor County and all of Dixie County (including Keaton Beach and the Steinhatchee area): the third Saturday in June through Sept. 10 every year.

Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties (including Cedar Key, Crystal River and Homosassa): July 10 through Sept. 10 every year.

If approved in February, the following open seasons would be created by executive order for 2018 only, which allows staff to re-evaluate any potential changes need for 2019 and subsequent years:

Joseph Bay and Gulf County: Aug. 17 through Sept. 30, 2018.

Pasco County: Establish a 10-day open season to run July 20-29, 2018.

For more information or to view the presentation given at the December Commission meeting, visit the meeting agenda and scroll to item number 18. You can also learn more by viewing a workshop presentation. Additional information about the February final public hearing will be available on the Commission Meetings webpage closer to date of the meeting.